B. Drumm and Bradt helped the Crimson qualify for the national semifinals (photo courtesy Athletic Communications).

BRANFORD, Conn. – The No. 13 Harvard coed sailing team finished ninth at the 69th Coast Guard Alumni Bowl, which serves as the NEISA Dinghy Championship. With the ninth-place performance, the Crimson qualified for the ICSA National Semifinals to be held in June at St. Mary's.

The fleet of 18 teams battled in 420s across two divisions in 14 races on the Long Island Sound. Harvard's two boats combined for 248 points overall to tie with Rhode Island, but won the tie breaker to take ninth in its 17th regatta of the spring season. Second-seeded Yale won the championship regatta with 111 points.

Sailing at their archrival Yale's venue the Crimson arrived at Short Beach on Saturday morning to a light northeasterly breeze of five to 10 knots that saw four races in the A division and three in the B group before the winds died down. Things picked up in the afternoon, however, as 10 to sixteen knots southerly gulls filled in to allow four more races in each division.

Harvard sat in ninth at the end of the first day of sailing.

Sunday was raced in shifty eight to 13 knots northwesterly winds that moved farther west and grew stronger as the day went on.

The junior, sophomore partnership of skipper Brian Drumm and crew Jacob Bradt manned the Crimson's A division boat. The duo claimed 13th in their division with 139 points that included a second place finish in the ninth race of the regatta.

After opening the championship with a victory, Harvard's B division vessel sailed to seventh with 109 points. A trio of Crimson steered the boat with junior Michael Drumm serving as skipper with senior Isabel Ruane as crew for the first five races and classmate Luke O'Connor racing as crew on the second day of competition. The threesome turned in two third place showings in race two and eight, respectively, and took second in the ninth race.

The Crimson will begin to prepare for the national semifinals which will be held in June at St. Mary's.